Oil can crusher



March 13, 1956 J. (3. JENNINGS 2,737,995

OIL CAN CRUSHER Filed Nov. 22, 1954 INVENTOR. JAMES C. JENNINGS BYWWGA/ 'A TTORNE Y 2,737,995 01L CAN CRUSHER James C.,Jennings, Girard, Ohio Application November 22, 1954,-SerialNo. 470,260

4 Claims. 1 Cl. 153-105 This invention relates to a device for crushing emptied oil cansof the type usedfor packaging motor oils and the like.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of an oil can crusher which may be conveniently installed on a receptacle such as" an empty oil drum and supported thereby and will act to quickly and effortlessly crush emptied oil cans and drop, them into the container.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an oil can crusher including a hopper having closure means enclosing the oil can during a crushing operation A still further object of the invention is the provisionof United States Patent an oil can crusher using a simple, easily operated piston and cylinder as means for imparting crushing action to an oil can.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a simple and efficient oil can crusher that may be produced at low cost and which will operate effectively for its intended purpose.

The oil can crusher disclosed herein comprises an improvement in the art relating to such devices and more particularly it comprises a simple and effective solution to the problem of storing emptied oil cans prior to the disposal thereof.

It is generally known that a majority of the motor oil sold in retail establishments such as service stations and the like is packaged in one and five quart metal cans which are sealed at the refinery and opened at the time of purchase. Such cans, upon being emptied, areof no further value and present a storage and disposal problem.

By utilizing the device of the present invention the cans may be readily compressed to a small fraction of their normal bulk and stored in a metal drum which serves as a base for the crushing device. It has been determined that 600 one quart size empty oil cans, upon being crushed, can be contained in astandard 50 gallon oil drum.

It will thus be seen that the storage and disposal problem of the empty oil cans is considerably alleviated by the use of the device disclosed herein.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of par-ts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to. cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not 0on stitute departures from the spirit and scope of the in vention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the oil can crusher mounted on an oil drum.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3--3 of Figure 2.

By referring to the drawings and Figure 1 in particuline 22 of i 2 lat it will be seen that the oil can crusher comprises a housing 1'0m'ounted on a flanged disc 11 which in turn is" adapted to register over and be carried on the upper endof'an open top oil drum12. Fasteners 13 are positioned circumferentially of the flanged disc 11 and adapted to secure th'esa'me'to the 'oil'drum;

The housing 10 defines a chamber 14, as best seen in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings. Access to the chamber 14' is'had through an opening 15 in the upper longitudinal portion or the housing 10; The opening 15 is of a size sufficient to permit a five quart oil can to be positioned therethroughl A box-like hopper 16 is positioned on the housing 10 in registry with the opening 15 and is'o'pen at its bottom and in communication with the chamber 14 in the housing 10. The top of the hopper 16 is provided with hinged closures 17 which are normally held in closed horizontal position by springs 17A (as shown in Figures 2 and 3' of the drawings)" The' hinged closures 17 are so arranged that an oil can may be positioned thereon and pushed downwardly therethrough into the hopper 16 and chamber 14 whereupon the hinged closures 17 will re-close.

In- Figure 1 of the drawings an empty oil can is illustrated and. indicated by the letter C and a dotted line representation of the'same' is illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings in the chamber 14 and prior to a crushing operation. In Figure 2 of the drawings the crushed oil can" C is again" illustratedxas the same dropsfrom the chamber 14 into'the oil drum 12. i

The housing 10 includes a heavy rear wall 18 and an opposite endwall 19 which is apertured as at 20 to receive a piston rod 21 which is slidably engaged in the opening 20. Still referring to Figures 2 and 3 it will be seen that the lower portions of the side walls of the housing 10 are vertically disposed while the upper portions curve inwardly defining oppositely disposed arcuate guides. for

. the piston 22. The bottom of the housing 14) issubstantially level with the lowermost part of the piston 22 and with the arcuate portions of the side walls forms a three element guide and support for the piston 22 to prevent deflection of the piston 22 and the piston rod 21. A piston22 is mounted onthe piston rod 21 in the chamber 14 for reciprocal movement therein as occasioned by an air cylinder 23 into which the other end of the piston rod 21 extends.

The air cylinder 23 includes a secondary piston (not shown) secured to the piston rod 21 and a spring for normally urging the secondary piston and the piston rod 21 and piston 22 to retracted positionthat is, to the right as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings. The air cylinder 23 is provided with an air inlet opening 24 and a tube25 is in communication therewith and extends by way of afoot operated valve 26 to a source of c0mpressed air such as an air compressor in a service station. The foot operated valve 26-is normally spring urged to closed position and movement of a pedal 27 thereof downwardly is required to open the valve 26 and permit compressed air to flow through the tubing 25 into the air cylinder 23 where it will move the secondary piston on the piston rod 21 outwardly of the air cylinder 23 and thus cause the piston 22 to move longitudinally in the chamber 14 and crush the oil can C previously positioned therein. A dotted line in Figure 2 of the drawing illustrates the position of the piston 22 in extended relation to the air cylinder 23.

cylinder may be substituted for the air cylinder if desired and a suitable source of hydraulic fluid pressure placed in connection therewith for actuating the device without departing from the spirit of the invention.

It will also be observed that the device may be installed on a supporting base other than the oil drum 12 as illustrated and described herein, and, in any event, the can crushing device will operate rapidly and efiectively for its intended purpose.

It will thus be seen that the oil can crusher disclosed herein meets the several objects of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what i claim is:

1. An oil can crusher comprising a housing of greater length than Width, the bottom of which is flat and the sides of which curve inwardly thereabove, said housings having an access opening in the entire top thereof and a discharge opening in one end of the bottom thereof and a piston movable longitudinally thereof in peripheral engagement with said bottom and inwardly curving side walls, means ex-teriorly of said housing for moving said piston and said means comprising an air cylinder and piston rod.

2. An oil can crusher comprising a housing of greater length than width, the bottom of which is fiat and the sides of which extend vertically with their upper portions curving inwardly thereabove, said housing having an access opening longitudinally in the top thereof and a narrow slot-like discharge opening in one end of the bottom thereof and a piston movable longitudinally therein in peripheral engagement with said bottom and inwardly curving side walls, means exteriorly of said housing for moving said piston and said means comprising a piston and cylinder assembly, a rectangular open bottom hopper on said housing and extending thereabove.

3. An oil can crusher for positioning on an empty open top oil drum and comprising a flanged disc for registry on the upper open top of said oil drum, a housing of greater length and width, the bottom of which is flat and sides of which curve inwardly thereabove secured to the upper surface of said disc, said housing and said disc having registering narrow slot-like openings therein, the opening in said housing being in one end thereof, a hopper positioned on the inwardly curved side walls of said housings, the bottom of said hopper communicating with the interior of said housing through a longitudinally extending opening defining the top of said housing, a piston reciprocally mounted in said housing in peripheral engagement with said bottom and inwardly curved side walls and means on said disc adjacent said housing for imparting movement to said piston.

4. The oil can crusher as set forth in claim 3 wherein the means for imparting movement to the piston comprises an air cylinder, a compressed air source and valve means controlling the same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,161,089 Waldo Nov. 23, 1915 2,167,653 Holbrook Aug. 1, 1939 2,222,375 Roccabruna Nov. 19, 1940 2,603,271 Heymers July 15, 1952 2,616,477 Scheer Nov. 4, 1952 2,677,881 Anderson May 11, 1954 

